In a tremendous victory for rail transit,
voters approved by 52% the Metro Solutions plan – including an immediate
$640 million revenue bond measure for Metro, the transit agency, to undertake
construction of 22 miles of rail transit, with both light rail (LRT) and regional
"commuter"-type rail. The vote also authorizes 44 new bus routes, doubles HOV lanes, and extends
Houston Metro's participation in local road projects. As we report
in our article As Houston's Light Rail Project Nears Finish, Major Vote Looms Nov. 4th, the bonding program is part of a $7.5 billion
regional transit plan which will build eventually 73 miles of rail
transit. Metro will now seek federal matching funds for the new rail projects.

The Houston vote is particularly significant since it demonstrates
that a rail initiative can indeed overcome daunting odds. Passing
a rail transit initiative is difficult enough – a steep uphill struggle in
any conditions. Efforts like Houston's have failed even when the
top power structure has been united behind a plan and its political
campaign is well-funded. Such projects are usually "sight unseen"
and unfamiliar to the voting public, acclimated to dependency on
private motor vehicles. Typically, all opponents have to do is sow
enough "seeds of doubt" about such a project in order to defeat it.

In Houston's case, a number of very powerful players (such as US
Congressional Rep. John Culberson) effectively led the effort to try to
defeat the rail plan, wielding immense political clout to that end. In
addition to that, the rail opposition apparently had more funds for
conducting their campaign than the pro-transit side. This all also
came in a context where the initial starter line was still under
construction – which Chronicle columnist Rick Casey likened to an
"urban root canal", or asking a woman in labor if she wanted more babies.

Houston's Metro Solutions campaign was beset with even more
disadvantages beyond those, but obviously a majority of the
voting public of Houston were weary of worsening traffic
congestion, and skeptical of the well-worn promises and
assurances of local Road Warriors that they could "build their way
out of congestion". Thus most voters appeared willing to take a
leap of faith for rail transit as a truly viable solution to the region's future mobility needs.

This election victory means that Houston will make a quantum
leap into crafting a far more livable, human-scaled community with
far better mobility choices in the future (starting with the opening
of the Main St. LRT line). it also should have major positive
repercussions for similar rail initiatives elsewhere. It undoubtedly
will give a healthy boost to the efforts to achieve more livable
communities with better, transit-based mobility systems, throughout the nation.

in another vote of confidence in rail transit,
voters in the Denver suburb of Lone Tree, Colorado overwhelming approved joining
the Denver area's Regional Transportation District ( RTD), passing ballot question 5A
by an amazing 73%! By joining RTD, Lone Tree residents effectively implemented an agreement reached
approximately a year ago with the RTD, to "extend a light-rail line
from Lincoln Avenue into Lone Tree under a revised $5 billion transit expansion plan."[Denver Post, 18 December 2002]

While LRT is being extended to the suburb and its into the
RidgeGate development (via Denver's T-REX LRT project as part of the FasTracks package), Lone Tree will receive improved
transit service, including on-demand "Call-n-Ride" shuttle
van service and enhanced traditional bus service (with
service to the Denver Tech Center and Sky Ridge Hospital).
While Park Meadows Mall (a major potential source of additional
sales tax revenue which could support the transit improvements)
was not part of the annexation vote, the vote likely paves the way
for Park Meadows Mall to be annexed into RTD, as it is now an
enclave totally surrounded by the transit district.

Voters in Tucson defeated by 63% a
general sales tax increase of 3/10th percent and a construction sales tax
increase of 3% that would have funded an LRT starter line and massively expanded
bus service (see Tucson: Grassroots Campaign Sparks Nov. 4th Vote on Light Rail + Other Mobility Options). The grassroots citizens' movement backing the transit
proposal was able to raise only $40,000 for their campaign, which
was heavily outspent by opponents (mainly car dealerships,
sprawl developers, and local construction firms).

While the plan was opposed by major elements of Tucson's
power structure, nevertheless, the LRT/mobility improvements
proposal was able to win an astonishing 37% of the total vote.
The rail propositions won in 39 precincts, and got over 70% "Yes" in
8 of them. In no precinct did it receive less than 23% support –
obviously an indication of strong residual support for major transit
improvements in the Tucson community. Proponents are
regrouping and indicate they expect to continue pursuing rail transit for Tucson.

(Suggestion: Step up the community outreach and education
effort, and negotiate a unified mobility plan incorporating the
concerns of major players in the transit agency and Tucson's top community echelons.)

A grassroots-sponsored LRT proposal was
defeated. The measure, placed on the ballot by an activist, but lacking the
endorsement of the local transit authority and power structure, would have
authorized a half-cent sales tax to fund
light rail, bike lanes, and a transit hub.
This was the 6th time an LRT measure failed in Kansas City.
Nevertheless, the measure managed to garner nearly 40% of the
vote even without a viable, fully organized and funded campaign –
indicating strong residual support for rail in Kansas City.

Meanwhile, Kansas City voters approved by 69% a 3/8th cent
increase to the city's current half-cent transportation sales tax, an
"official" measure proposed by the Kansas City Area
Transportation Authority (KCATA) . The 5-year tax increase will
provide $22 million annually to shore up a projected KCATA)
budget shortfall, due to declining tax revenue, that would have
meant the elimination of more than 1/3 of the ATA's current bus
routes. instead, the extra revenue will allow ATA to add 12 new
bus routes and increase service on 13 existing routes.

(Suggestion: Find a way to meld community grassroots support
for light rail with top-level support for a viable transit alternative,
mix well with a vigorous and intensive community outreach and
education effort ... and maybe Kansas City will muster the votes
needed for a real public transportation breakthrough.)

While the defeats in Tucson and Kansas City were setbacks, we
believe they're more than compensated for by the enormous
victory in the Houston Metro service area and the overwhelming endorsement of
Denver's LRT system by the Lone Tree suburban community. Bottom line: A "Major Net Victory for US Rail Transit".

For further analysis of these and other transit-related ballot
issues, including links to news articles, please visit:

NOTE: This report relied on adaptations of material from the Center for
Transportation Excellence, the Minneapolis Hiawatha LRT project, the Public
Transport Progress online news distribution list, and the Light Rail Progress Professional online discussion list.